BowTie Chicken Pasta Salad

This is yet another amazing recipe my mom used to make growing up. I have made it several times for various events and I continually get rave reviews. This pasta salad is unbelievably simple, but so delicious. It is definitely my go-to recipe for potlucks, church parties, baby/bridal showers and any type of summer meal. The variety of ingredients make for a colorful and eye-catching display, and the creamy sauce pulls everything together perfectly. (Picture courtesy of Oh Sweet Basil)

Ingredients:

• 1 16-oz. box bow-tie pasta noodles, cooked and drained (any type of medium-sized noodle would work well here)
• 1-2 cups cooked chicken, diced
• 2 cups red or purple grapes, sliced in half
• 1 large can mandarin oranges
• 1 large can pineapple tidbits
• 1 can water chestnuts, sliced in half
• 2-3 green onions, diced in small pieces
• 1 cup cashews

Dressing:

• 1/2 bottle Kraft Coleslaw salad dressing
• 1 cup mayonnaise

Toss all salad ingredients together in a large bowl until combined. Mix coleslaw dressing and mayonnaise together and pour over pasta salad, stirring until evenly coated. Serve immediately or store in fridge until needed.

Cream Cheese Enchiladas

I know I just posted my favorite enchilada recipe a few weeks ago, but I was having a craving for enchiladas last night and wanted to try something new. I found this recipe on My Kitchen Cafe and immediately knew I had to give it a try. Although not the healthiest of meals, it is absolutely delicious. The biggest difference between my go-to enchilada recipe is the filling. This one had a cheesy cream cheese base and an addition of black beans. It was a cinch to throw together in a bowl and stuff into the tortillas. The sauce was also incredible! I definitely think I'll be using this sauce from now on, no matter what enchilada recipe I use. It was so rich and creamy and it added a huge pop of flavor to the simple filling. Top it all off with fresh cilantro and Mmm baby! You can't go wrong! (Picture and recipe courtesy of My Kitchen Cafe)


Ingredients:

Filling:

• 2-3 cups cooked chicken, diced
• 2 cans diced green chilies
• 1 8-oz container cream cheese, softened
• 1 can black beans, rinsed and drained (you can really use any type of bean here)

Sauce:

• 2 Tbsp. butter
• 1/2 c. chopped onion
• 2 Tbsp. flour
• 1/3 c. chicken broth
• 1/4 c. milk
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• 1/4 tsp. pepper
• 1 can (7 oz.) green enchilada sauce
• 1/2 c. sour cream

5-8 flour tortillas

Toppings: grated cheese, cilantro, salsa, hot sauce, etc.

In a medium bowl, combine all ingredients to make up the filling. Fill each tortilla with several spoonfuls of the filling and roll up. Lightly grease a 9x13 baking dish and place tortillas seam-side down inside.

In a large nonstick skillet, saute the onions and butter over medium heat until onions are soft and light golden brown. Sprinkle the flour over the onions and stir well until combined. Slowly, whisk in the chicken broth and milk. As you whisk and the mixture cooks, it will become less lumpy and will thicken - about 3-4 minutes. Remove the skillet from the heat and stir in the salt, pepper, enchilada sauce, and sour cream until smooth. Pour over the top of the enchiladas. Top with cheese. Cover the pan with foil and bake at 350 for 20-30 minutes, or until heated through. Sprinkle fresh cilantro over the top and serve.

Swiss Steak

I'll have to say that my favorite kitchen appliance is definitely my crock pot. I love throwing everything in, turning on the heat, and walking away for a few hours, only to come back to a mouth-watering smell and cooked food! A big shout-out to whoever invented this little guy- I. Love. It. Moving on, this is one of my favorite crock-pot recipes of all time! Although I love the original flavor of a Sunday roast, this one is a refreshing change and is sure to please everyone around the table. At first I was a little skeptical to try a roast recipe that included canned tomatoes, but they provided so much moisture and just the right amount of sweetness. And the best thing is, it is extremely versatile. Just add in whatever ingredients you have, wait a few hours, and voila! You have a wonderful, heart-warming meal ready to serve. (Picture courtesy of Better Homes and Gardens)

Ingredients:

• 1 medium-size pot-roast, OR 1 lb. boneless beef round steak
• 3-4 large carrots, cut into small 1-inch pieces
• 1 medium onion, diced
• 2-3 small potatoes, cut into 1-inch cubes
• 1 14.5 ounce can Italian-style diced tomatoes, undrained
• 2 Tbsp. worcestershire sauce
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• Salt and pepper to taste

Lay meat on bottom of the crock pot and sprinkle with carrots, onions, and potatoes. Pour tomatoes, worcestershire sauce and garlic over everything. Cover and cook on low for 6-8 hours, or on high for 3-4 hours, or until meat is tender and cooked through. Serve and add salt and pepper to taste.

Optional: Omit the potatoes and serve over mashed potatoes, rice, or cooked pasta noodles.

How to make Chocolate Curls

Despite what you might think, chocolate curls are one of the easiest and quickest things to throw together to decorate a cake, cupcakes, pie, or any other dessert you can come up with! Here's the easy step-by-step version:

Place 3 ounces of chocolate in a microwave safe bowl and microwave on high for 30 seconds. Stir chocolate and put in for another 20 seconds and stir again until chocolate is smooth and creamy. Grab a metal cooking sheet, turn it upside down, and pour the melted chocolate on. With a flat spatula (or a knife) spread the chocolate into a thin layer. Stick it in the freezer for a few minutes. Get a sharp-edged spatula and begin to scrape the chocolate from the pan. When the chocolate is at the right temperature it will begin to curl instead of break. If it does break off into little pieces, simply wait a few minutes for the chocolate to soften and try again. Scrape along the bottom of the pan until it is all in beautiful curls! Store in the freezer in a Ziploc bag until you need them. So simple, but so fancy!!

The BEST Frosting Recipe

So not to offend anyone, but I abhor the greasy, sugary taste and texture of buttercream frosting.. I know, I know-I'm a horrible person, but I really do. So when I saw this recipe that didn't require any powdered sugar, I knew it would be amazing. If you haven't seen the new frosting-with-flour craze that's swept across cooking blogs, then here it is! I made the chocolate version and put it on a chocolate-raspberry cake I made for my work Christmas party yesterday and I promise you that cake was gone by the end of the day. But just to give you a heads-up: this frosting takes a LONG time to make. Unlike the quick throw-it-in and whip-it-up version of regular frosting, this one requires boiling, cooling, and mixing that took me about 2 hours to make. But I promise you it is completely worth it! Trust Merideth on this one.. I know you'll love it!! (Picture courtesy of Taste of Home- I forgot to take a picture of the cake I made, but it looked just like this one with the raspberries, chocolate curls, and mint leaves- presentation is everything! :) )

*Makes about 4 cups of frosting- plenty for two 9-inch cake layers

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 3 Tbsp. cornstarch
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• 1 1/2 cups milk
• 2 tsp. pure vanilla extract
• 24 Tbsp. (3 sticks) butter, softened to room temperature.

In a medium bowl, combine the sugar, flour, cornstarch and salt. Slowly whisk in the milk until the mixture is smooth. Place a fine-mesh strainer over a medium saucepan and pour the milk mixture through the strainer into the saucepan. Cook the mixture over medium heat, stirring constantly, until the mixture boils and is thick enough that it becomes difficult to stir with a whisk (5-10 minutes). It should bubble quite a bit at the end and thicken considerably.

Transfer the mixture to a clean bowl and cool to room temperature - this is extremely important! If it is even slightly warm it will not mix with the butter well and won't turn out correctly. I stuck mine in the refrigerator for an hour and then took it out and allowed it to return to room temperature again.

Once the mixture is completely cooled to room temperature, beat the frosting with the vanilla on low-speed until it is well combined, about 30 seconds. Cut up the butter into small pieces and add, one piece at a time, until completely combined - about 2 minutes. Increase the speed to medium-high and whip the frosting for 5 minutes- until it is light and fluffy. Let the frosting sit at room temperature until it is a bit more stiff- about an hour.

Chocolate Version: Add 1/4 cup cocoa powder to the sugar, flour, cornstarch and salt in the first step. Optional: Once the frosting has been whipped for 5 minutes, slowly pour in 3 ounces of chocolate that has been melted and cooled to room temperature.

BBQ Chicken Pizza

I am a little obsessed with California Pizza Kitchen's BBQ Chicken Pizza, so I decided to make up my own that is very similar to the one I crave. This is by far one of the most requested recipes from my husband. It is so easy to throw together and uses simple ingredients that I always have in my pantry and fridge. I love the taste of the homemade crust and the simple sauce ingredients. This is an extremely versatile pizza that can be added to/changed depending on various preferences and tastes. (Picture courtesy of Biggest Menu)

Crust Ingredients:

• 1 cup boiling water
• 1 egg
• 1 Tbsp. oil
• 1 tsp. salt
• 1/2 tsp. sugar
• 3 cups flour

Whisk together egg, oil, salt, and sugar. Slowly pour in boiled water, stirring constantly. Allow to cool slightly. Add in flour, one cup at a time, until smooth (Dough will be very thick and hard to stir after all of the flour is added). Knead dough and roll it out until it fits the size of your pizza pan (a cookie sheet will also work here). Spread light coating of oil over dough in pan.

Pizza Ingredients:

• 1/2 c. spaghetti sauce
• 1/2 c. bbq sauce
• 1 large chicken breast, cooked and cut into small pieces
• 1/2 red onion, chopped finely
• 1 medium tomato, cut into small pieces
• 1-2 cups cheddar cheese (pepperjack is also amazing)
• 1 bunch cilantro

Mix spaghetti sauce and bbq sauce together in small bowl. Evenly spread over crust. Sprinkle all ingredients except cilantro over pizza and bake at 425 for 15-20 minutes, or until cheese is melted and crust is a light brown.

Take out of the oven and sprinkle cilantro on right before serving.

Chicken Balls

Aside from the strange name, these really are good! Yet another fabulous recipe my mom often cooked growing up, these require simple ingredients and are easy to throw together for a quick meal. The balls are soft and cheesy on the inside, and are served with a chicken gravy that can be thrown together from a can or from homemade chicken broth. These frequent our dinner table at least once a month and my husband requests them more often than that. Picture courtesy of Becky Higgins.

Ingredients:

• 2-3 chicken breasts, cut into small pieces (or canned chicken if short on time)
• 4 oz. cream cheese
• 1/2 c. onion, diced into small pieces
• 2 Tbsp. butter, melted and cooled
• 1 tube refrigerated crescent rolls
• parmesan cheese, powder form
• 1 can cream of chicken soup
• 1/2 cup milk

Mix first chicken, cream cheese, onion and butter together in medium bowl. Unroll crescents and add a spoonful of mixture in the center of each roll. Wrap around and pinch the edges. Roll in paremsan cheese and place on baking sheet. Cook according to crescent roll pacakge directions. Serve with chicken sauce (Stir soup and milk over medium heat until smooth).

Russian Cranberry Chicken

This is one of those comfort-food recipes that my mom used to make on those cold, snowy nights. It is also perfect for a Christmas meal because of the cranberries and the bright red color it adds to the menu. I also love the combination of the sweet cranberry sauce with the tangy Russian dressing. This recipe is very simple and can be done in the oven or in a crockpot. Picture courtesy of Taste of Home.


Ingredients:

• 1 lb. boneless, skinless chicken breasts
• 1 jar cranberry sauce
• 1/2 bottle Russian salad dressing (Catalina or French work well too)
• 2 cups rice

Crockpot: lay chicken breasts on bottom of pot. Mix together cranberry sauce and salad dressing and pour over chicken. Cook on low for 4-5 hours, or high for 2-3 hours, or until chicken is cooked through. Serve warm over cooked rice.

Oven: Lay chicken breasts on bottom of 9x13 pan. Mix together cranberry sauce and salad dressing and pour over chicken. Cook at 350 degrees for 45-50 minutes, or until chicken is cooked through. Serve warm over cooked rice

My Favorite Chocolate Chip Cookies

I'll admit it- I am in love with chocolate chip cookies. I actually went through a phase after I was married where I tried a new recipe every week, determined to find "the ultimate recipe." And I have to admit, these have been by far my favorite! They are the Cook's Illustrated version and they are a.maz.ing. They are thick and chewy which are two musts for any cookie. And the bonus? It calls for melted butter so you don't have to worry about softening the butter an hour before you want to make the cookies. (Picture courtesy of myrecipes.com.)

Ingredients:

• 2 1/8 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/2 tsp. table salt
• 1/2 tsp. baking soda
• 12 Tbsp. butter, melted and cooled (1 1/2 sticks)
• 1 c. brown sugar
• 1/2 c. granulated sugar
• 1 large egg
• 1 large egg yolk
• 2 tsp. vanilla
• 1-2 c. chocolate chips

Heat oven to 325 degrees. Mix flour, salt and baking soda together in a large mixing bowl, set aside. Either by hand or electric mixer, mix butter and sugars until thoroughly blended. Mix in egg, yolk, and vanilla. Add dry ingredients. Mix until just combined. Stir in chocolate chips.

Form dough into balls and place on sprayed cookie sheet. Bake, reversing cookie sheet's position about halfway through, until lightly golden brown and soft and puffy, about 15-18 minutes (Start checking at 13 minutes). Serve or store in air-tight container.

Tip: These cookies are also fabulous with 1 cup of oatmeal or shredded coconut.

General Tso's Chicken

I got this recipe from my friend's blog, Shayla's Kitchen. My husband and I both like to try different kinds of foods and this one got a huge nod of approval from the both of us. The slightly "fried" chicken gives it an authentic Chinese-food taste and the sauce is extremely flavorful and tangy. I have already made this dish twice this month and I'm sure it will appear on our table again very soon. (Picture courtesy of dinnerplanner.com)

Ingredients:

• 1/2 lb. chicken breasts, cut into small 1" pieces
• Flour
• 2 Tbsp. vegetable or canola oil
• 1/4 c. sugar
• 1/4 c. soy sauce
• 1/4 c. pineapple juice
• 1/4 c. white distilled vinegar (I used rice vinegar and it worked great too)
• 2 tsp. minced garlic
• 1 tsp. fresh ginger, finely grated
• 1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper (optional)
• 1 Tbsp. cornstarch, mixed with 3 Tbsp. water
• 4 green onions, sliced

Dredge chicken in flour until lightly coated and fry in oil over medium heat until cooked and crispy. Drain excess oil. Sprinkle cayenne pepper over the chicken and keep warm on low heat. In a saucepan, combine sugar, soy sauce, pineapple juice, vinegar, garlic, and ginger and heat gently. When sugar has dissolved, slowly stir in the cornstarch mixture and stir constantly until sauce has thickened. Pour sauce over chicken and serve over rice.